Turning in lesson plans for every freakin' lesson?!

[Say what?!]

So I've started off on the wrong foot with my co-teacher by being late twice within the first week.  Before assigning blame, please hear me out. The first time, I really didn't know the bus schedule for my bus (and my co-teacher never really told me exactly what it was), so I had to guesstimate when it would arrive and ended up missing the bus time that I needed.  Today, I was suppoed to carpool with some other teachers, but I arrived 2 minutes late to the pick-up spot and they had already left.  Now, I only arrived two minutes late because last week I had to wait upwards of 5 minutes whenever I arrived on time, so I thought that arriving two minutes late today would be ok.  I was wrong.  Anyway, my co-teacher was clearly pissed at me and even though I tried to explain what happened, he seemed to think I was lying. Yeah, he already thinks I'm lying.  Anyway, the result is that he wants me to hand in lesson plans for every single lesson that I teach which really means I have to sit at my desk and copy out of the teacher's guidebook the entire lesson plan verbatim for each lesson.  I can do it, but I just feel like this has already become a matter of vengeance on his part and, well, there goes my relationship with my co-teacher.  I'm really upset and would like to know how others have dealt with bad relationships with their co-teachers.  It's just hard for me to believe that things have already devolved into this sort of mess...

[Sara]

Turning in a lesson plan for each lesson is a normal thing, most people I know do it. The school just wants to know what you're planning. I would use it as a tool to open up the lines of communication with your coteacher. Ask him for his suggestions, or if he thinks such-and-such is a good idea.

As for being late, try to own up to it and apologize. It may not be your fault but it sounds like you haven't gotten off on the right foot, so you should try to make more of an effort to build your relationship. Believe me, you need to have your coteacher on your side.

[WayGO]

Last year I was asked to turn in lesson plans for each lesson after not being asked for a couple of months. It was a massive scramble to create them post hoc. I hope that doesnt happen again. The chore of one every week is bad but 10 at once is worse!

Waygo

[Rutten]

your co-teacher sounds a bit harsh, doesn't he? it's your first week here and they're getting you for being late when you don't know squat... of course it's not good being late, but it's not your fault if you're just trying to get the hang of things. i've heard of people just being given vague directions to their school and they end up being an hour late because they can't find it :o just be extra nice to the guy

[adventuregal]

If you're public school, there should be a part of your contract stating that if you have to pay to get to school your school has to reimburse you or something.  It totally got me into a carpool!

Aside from that... good luck w/ the passive aggressive carpool you're in now.. I had one of those last semester.  Korea can be a place to really hone your tollerance/ skills of passive aggression  ;)  If you're a dude- I'd say shame them... if you're a chick- use the pity card!

[Ectofuego]

My school wants all my lesson plans up front before the beginning of the semester.

And yes it is a challenge to control your anger in Korea.  Friday someone complained about a teaching method I did.  But not to me, oh no.  They told another teacher, who told another teacher to tell me their was a complaint.  The complaint was misguided because she did not directly see the lesson, just through another third party and felt I should hear someone complain who was not a viewer or in any way directly involved in my teaching.

[Mitchell]

For myself I just put a file together for each plan I've made that includes the 'lesson' plan proper and any materials I have for that day.  I work at a high school so this is easier than having to copy out of the books because I have no book to follow and the lessons begin and end with me.  I'm doing it at the request of the english teachers in the school because they have not had a GET for nearly ten years and it will be a way of having a record to leave behind.

[peasgoodnonsuch]

You don't already make a lesson plan for your lessons? I don't think I could teach without a lesson plan! Anyway, regardless of your CT's reasons, its quite normal to hand in plans and it may even be in the contract...I'm not sure.

As for apologizing about being late, I would apologize again, and then come in way early the entire next week. Even if you feel it's unjust, there are times that you have to take more responsibility for something than is fair, just to create a better relationship. In the end, what's more useful to your life: pride and a sense of justification or a happy relationship with your CT? Personally, I'd choose the CT. They can make or break you here...

[hankmcmasters]

my school requires lesson plans turned in every week. but they're only a few sentences and nobody ever reads them.
at first i made them long, because i thought they were real plans.  but i've experimented by putting crazy things in the lesson plan like "GOD I LOVE COTTAGE CHEESE" in the middle of a dialog and nobody commented.  anyways, don't take them too seriously.

being late probably makes your co-teacher look bad too, keep that in mind.  try to smooth things over with a gift if you need to, just a can of juice or something like that.

as for being late, stop it.  cut out their excuses for being rude until you get to the bottom of it.  your job and your life will be a lot better.

good luck

[andrucer]

I have to turn in lesson plans for all my lessons ... even the after school classes.

[cainrok]

If you're public school, there should be a part of your contract stating that if you have to pay to get to school your school has to reimburse you or something.  It totally got me into a carpool!
Aside from that... good luck w/ the passive aggressive carpool you're in now.. I had one of those last semester.  Korea can be a place to really hone your tollerance/ skills of passive aggression  ;)  If you're a dude- I'd say shame them... if you're a chick- use the pity card!

REALLY??  I'm going to run home and re-read my contract then.  I've spent so much precious won on bus fare since August.

[minamteacher]

Last year, my first year as a teacher, I was still getting my act together, so I didn't have many formal lesson plans. This year as a favor to my co-teachers I am trying to send out a copy of my lesson plan at the start of the week in order to let my co-teachers know exactly what I will teach each week. Basically, it's not fun to submit lesson plans, but it's good to get in the habit.

[rlhadley]

I have to give all 7 of my co-teachers a copy of my lesson plan another with any worksheets im going to be using. Its kinda hard to make sure each of them gets the copy, but i think its helped because now we all know whats going on in my lessons.

Also i havea folder on my desk top for each grade and after school when I open the folder I have all the lessons dated and named and then inside the dated and names folder is the lesson material for only that lesson. It makes organization easy. Hope that helps. Good luck!

[clairegaunt]

Submitting lesson plans is totally normal! Everyone has to do it. How do you even teach a lesson without a lesson plan in the first place?

As for your co-teacher being mad at you for being late, it might not be so much that you were late but perhaps more to do with the fact that you are adamant it wasn't your fault. Just apologise and get to school early for a while.

[Dr_Donut]

I'm more or less on the same page with Nmonk.  Just take the whole situation as a reality check.  If you show up late for your first day back home for a job, they'd probably just fire you!  So just put the situation in the past and focus on improving your relationships at your school.  It's the most important thing!!!

[m1zk0]

I turn in each lesson plan I create for every lesson at the end of the month, to be signed off by the head teacher, vice principal, and principal. Each of my lesson plans are usually a page long, if not two pages. This has certainly made me look good in the school, and it doesn't take very much time to do, considering we repeat our lessons at least three or four times.

[LiaU!]

I have to turn in lesson plans for all the lessons I co-teach on....most are just a basic overview of what we do in class....with A LOT of games and ppt help from Beloved Waygook....so it's usually not that big of a deal...?

[CellarDoor]

my school requires lesson plans turned in every week. but they're only a few sentences and nobody ever reads them.
at first i made them long, because i thought they were real plans.  but i've experimented by putting crazy things in the lesson plan like "GOD I LOVE COTTAGE CHEESE" in the middle of a dialog and nobody commented.  anyways, don't take them too seriously.

That's hilarious about the cottage cheese.  :D Some of my co-teachers do actually read my lesson plans I think, but if I had a sentence like that I'm not sure if they'd actually say something to me about it or not.  I probably could back off a little from the super-long lesson plans I usually give them, but it does give me something to work on during the week.  I only have to prepare 1-2 lessons per week though, so I guess I have it easy.

To the OP, as others have mentioned here, some contracts do include a clause about lesson plans being a part of your duties.  The English translation on my contract for that clause reads: "Article 3: The employee shall perform the following duties: (2) to prepare lesson plans and teaching materials."  So I'm not just supposed to teach, but also, technically, I'm supposed to prepare lesson plans.  It also helps your co-teachers out with working more effectively alongside you because it gives them an idea what you'll be talking about that day/week.  I like lesson plans, even if they do require a little time.

[justanotherwaygook]

If you're public school, there should be a part of your contract stating that if you have to pay to get to school your school has to reimburse you or something.  It totally got me into a carpool!
Aside from that... good luck w/ the passive aggressive carpool you're in now.. I had one of those last semester.  Korea can be a place to really hone your tollerance/ skills of passive aggression  ;)  If you're a dude- I'd say shame them... if you're a chick- use the pity card!

REALLY??  I'm going to run home and re-read my contract then.  I've spent so much precious won on bus fare since August.

It only applies if you're in a rural area.

[delia218]

I think I'm kind of lucky that I've never been asked to hand in daily lesson plans. I usually make an outline of what my plan is and talk to the coteacher about it the day before the lesson. 

But, my school has asked for alot of other useless documents over the last 2 years, and it's usually just for their files. They want to have something to show should anyone from the Education Department/GEPIK/parents/school board ask.

Do what the coteacher has asked, but try to make more of an outline with bullet points so you dont drive yourself crazy. Make it look like a substantial lesson with the key sentences included, but to write verbatim everything you plan to say in your lesson is overkill. Hope they cut you some slack.